Newsletter #17

 

In this issue:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and ISTJs and ENFPs in Organizations

About the Strong Interest Inventory®: Differences Between Adjacent Types

About the FIRO-B™: Team Conflict V. How do individuals react?

 

ISTJs and ENFPs in Organizations

This issue we'll start with ISTJs and ENFPs and examine where they might fit best and some of the possible weak spots for each.

Our friends the ISTJs are often considered to be the backbone of many organizations. They are frequently reliable, hardworking, detail-oriented, and conscious of timetables and schedules. You can usually count on them to do their assigned tasks the right way and respect the hierarchy of the group. Consequently, they often prefer organizations that are stable, structured, task-oriented, orderly, staffed with realistic, hardworking folks like themselves. The military fits many of those criteria.

Some areas where ISTJs could run into problems include appearing or becoming rigid in their thinking (Don't confuse me with facts. My mind's made up.). They can expect others to adhere to the same standards and have the same attention to detail they do. Others might incorrectly believe they don't care about people because many ISTJs dislike small talk and chit-chat. ISTJs can focus a lot on daily activities and spend less time on future planning. Some develop a pessimistic outlook and may dismiss new ideas as impractical (We tried that before and it didn't work.).

Switching to the opposite type, ENFPs have many fine qualities that make workplaces better. Many people of this type are good at recognizing the need for change, and get started at it making it happen. Their people-centered nature helps them see possibilities that might improve conditions for others. ENFPs are often good at showing their appreciation for others. A good work place for them includes time for socializing and individuality, has lots of variety and challenges, is flexible, emphasizes fun and idea generation, and is low on bureaucracy and rules. They often prefer casual environments, particularly if there's a strong focus on helping people.

Some areas where ENFPs might struggle include starting lots of projects but never finishing any, or jumping from one idea to another without developing their concepts more fully. In their enthusiasm and excitement, they can overlook details and facts that conflict with their great new ideas. A side effect is spending so much time pursuing new interests that they attempt too much and overload themselves, which can lead to burnout. Too many interesting ideas can also create decision-making trouble, which might result in procrastination.

 

About the Strong Interest Inventory: Differences Between Adjacent Types

As you look at the hexagon for the Strong, you'll notice that some letters are closer than others. This reflects Holland's theory that some occupations are more similar than others. So Realistic and Conventional jobs are more similar than Realistic and Social, for example. But what are the differences between those scales that are closest to each other on the hexagon?

This time we'll look at two sets of adjacent occupations to see what's different.

Let's take Artistic and Social jobs. Generally, Artistic jobs require greater use of data, spatial perception, feelings, ideas, or facts. Similarly, Artistic jobs rate higher in abstract and creative versus routine and concrete activities. Finally, they rate higher in activities involving processes, machines, or techniques as opposed to social welfare.

Social jobs score higher than Artistic jobs on time spent with people, in clerical aptitude, dealing with people, variety, and change. More time is spent in talking and listening in Social jobs.

If we compare Social to Enterprising jobs, the former has higher ratings in scientific and technical activities versus business contacts. Conversely, Enterprising jobs are higher than social jobs in numerical aptitude required, and activities involving processes, techniques, or machines, instead of social welfare.

As you can imagine, many jobs combine aspects from several scales, so they are a blend of types. Of course, none of the above means that only Social jobs require clerical abilities or numbers people work in Enterprising jobs. It merely shows some of the criteria that separate jobs into the different categories. Once again, the most important aspect is matching your interests and abilities to your job.

 

The FIRO-B: Team Conflict V. How do individuals react?

This issue we'll discuss how you react when conflict erupts in your group. We'll start by looking at your highest Total Needs. This will help you understand what strengths and potential problems you might encounter.

For those whose highest Total Need is Inclusion, they often go to great lengths to listen to all sides of the story, gather all possible information regarding the conflict, and share what they know about the problem. They are likely to put much energy into understanding others' points of views and clarifying the positions. On the other hand, they might worry that exploring differences could divide the team. So they might emphasize commonalities more than differences in an attempt to hold the group together.

Those whose highest Total Need is Control share the desire to get through all the issues, even if they are unpleasant. Personal issues and things people would rather not mention are not shied away from. If it affects the team, then it's worth discussing. On the downside, they might try to force an agreement or win the argument. They can appear aggressive to some. Sometimes the views of others might be disregarded because they lack standing in the group.

If Affection is the highest Total Need, then sensitivity towards the views of others is likely. Likewise, these people are more likely to share personal thoughts and feelings to other members of the group. However, they might also spend too much time and effort trying to create harmony in the group, compromise too soon, and take the conflict personally. If the group has too much conflict, these people might fear the personal bonds and relationships will suffer as a result.

These are some of the potential reactions people might have to conflict in a group. The more you are aware of what's going on, the more effectively you can deal with the issues at hand.